It is known to provide cartons useful for both shipping and displaying thin, rectangular packets of food ingredients. These cartons have a generally rectangular hexahedron shape, when in a shipping mode, comprising front, back and side panels. The top panel and a major portion of the front panel are attached to the remaining panels of the carton along scored lines, permitting separation or ready removal of the top and front panels to prepare the carton for its display mode. On removal of said panels, the contents of the carton are exposed from both the front and top sides.
One problem with this design is that the scoring leaves rough, somewhat jagged edges following separation, which are clearly visible and detract from the carton general appearance. Another problem is that the carton surfaces which are visible during display are also exposed during shipping. These surfaces conveniently bear trademarks, indicia, and other graphics identifying and/or advertising the pouch goods being displayed. During shipping, such graphics can become damaged from abrasion or scuffing, further detracting from the appearance of the carton. Also, the cartons, during shipping, have a single wall thickness which provides inadequate support strength when the cartons are stacked, making the cartons subject to squashing and distortion, potentially further detracting from carton appearance.
The displayed pouches usually carry substantial goods identification and graphics similar to that on the carton, identifying and advertising the goods being marketed. To make as much of such graphics visible, the scoring along the front side, ideally, is arranged to expose as much of the pouch front sides as possible. This permits the pouches, which are in in-file alignment in the cartons to slump or fall forward, and even out of the carton when on a display shelf.
The cartons can be manufactured for either two in-file rows of single-width packets, or a single row of in-file double-width pouches. In the case of the former, a fairly high divider can be placed between the two rows of pouches, providing sufficient friction engagement with the pouches to hold them in generally upright position. However, the divider would then have to be sufficiently hight that it could not be folded flat in the bottom of the carton if the carton was to be used for a single row of double-width pouches. This means that, conventionally, is has been necessary to manufacture the cartons from a plurality of different blanks, depending upon the configuration of shape of the pouches being shipped and displayed.
Prior U.S. Pat. No. 3,669,251 discloses a combination shipping and display carton for holding tobacco foils or pouches in an upright position. A blank of material is formable into a shipping carton, which is convertible to a display carton by removal of a top part of the carton tearing along weakened lines in the front and side panels. Exposed side edges of the carton, following tearing, have curved article-engaging outlines adapted to engage the foils or pouches being displayed, preventing them from tipping forward or backward. The carton of this patent is made of paperboard, not corrugated board, and would suffer from the disadvantages of the art discussed above; for instance, in showing ragged, rough edges and, also, in the lack of means to prevent damage to the carton graphics or the carton itself during shipping. Likely, actual shipping would require positioning ten or so of the cartons in a strong master carton, rather than shipping the cartons individually.